Sam Nivola, huh? Who knew the kid from Maestro would be the talk of the internet for something way more chaotic than conducting orchestras? The dude walked into The White Lotus Season 3 and said, “Let’s make things uncomfortably memorable!” And oh boy, did he deliver.
Nivola’s character, Lochlan Ratliff, found himself in one of the most jaw-dropping, therapist-summoning plot twists HBO has ever dared to air. Forget the sunsets and mindfulness vibes of the fictional Thai resort, this season dove headfirst into taboo territory with a sibling storyline that had viewers collectively clutching their pearls (and checking their HBO subscription out of pure disbelief).
But here’s the kicker, Sam Nivola might have just broken a sacred Hollywood code, a.k.a. the NDA. You know, that serious little document that says, “Thou shalt not spoil the incest twist before the episode airs”? Yep. Apparently, Nivola got a little too mindful and spilled more tea than the hotel buffet serves in a week.
Whether it was a slip or a subtle PR stunt, the fandom has exploded. And if there’s one thing we’ve learned from The White Lotus, it’s this, paradise comes with a price, and sometimes that price is wearing your brother’s swim shorts the morning after.
The White Lotus’ Sam Nivola breaks NDA
Turns out, one guest at The White Lotus totally missed the memo about “Do Not Disturb.”
Apparently, Sam Nivola’s idea of keeping a secret is telling just a few trusted humans and hoping HBO isn’t listening. In a moment that probably made his legal team break out in cold sweats, The White Lotus star casually admitted to breaking his NDA during an interview with Variety. He said, clarifying that his sister was left in the dark because,
I told my parents. She’s bad at keeping secrets.
Ouch, sibling shade and an NDA breach in one breath? Bold move.
Naturally, Nivola also spilled the beans to his girlfriend, Iris Apatow, because she was right there while filming. Honestly, it’s kind of sweet in a “please don’t blacklist me, HBO” kind of way. But Nivola knows what he’s done. He joked, possibly while scanning the skies for HBO drones.
I’m not supposed to have told anyone, because I’m under a lot of NDAs. I’m really scared about getting sued by HBO.
Let’s just say, if HBO was handing out keycards to The White Lotus vault of secrets, Nivola might’ve already checked out.
Sam Nivola and Patrick Schwarzenegger’s incest scene explained
Breaking the HBO’s T&C’s wasn’t the only thing he talked about. Nope. Apparently, Sam Nivola mentioned the jaw-dropping, Tumblr-melting, borderline-incestual boat scene with Patrick Schwarzenegger’s Saxon. It also happened to be Sam’s first-ever sex scene. And yes, it all went down on a boat while he was trying not to throw up from seasickness.
The Ratliff brothers decided to double down on the taboo in Episode 6 of The White Lotus, and let’s just say, things went from awkward to what-in-the-HBO-is-happening real fast. Flashbacks revealed Saxon and Lochlan in bed together, yes, in bed, following a night of drugs, chaos, and moral-free decision-making on a boat with Chloe and Chelsea.
Naturally, the internet exploded. But Nivola, who plays the younger Lochlan, is standing by his character. He told Variety,
At the end of the day, Lochlan is not a creep, necessarily. Of course, I have to say that. You have to love your character. So, fuck it, I’ll defend him!
According to Nivola, this isn’t about incestuous lust, it’s about a confused teenager craving connection. He explained,
He really looks up to both of his siblings. It’s more curiosity, and trying to figure out which kind of person he is going to become.
As for why Lochlan thought mimicking Saxon’s sex-obsessed behavior was a bonding opportunity?
The thing on the boat is Lochlan’s tragically misguided attempt at being like, ‘So, you’re the sex guy. Let’s do something in that realm.’
Now, with Saxon icing him out, Lochlan’s left spiraling. Nivola further added,
He’s the orchestrator of his own downfall.
Basically, Lochlan’s got a one-way ticket to Sad Boy Island, and, frankly, a pretty good shot at being the next The White Lotus killer. Between fake brotherly romance, anxious energy, and dodging lawsuits, Nivola’s The White Lotus journey has been one wild ride.
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau’s NDA breach
Sam wasn’t the only actor to breach an NDA, Game of Thrones alum Nikolaj Coster-Waldau found himself tangled in a real-life plot twist that could rival any Westerosi scandal. Instead of dueling with swords, he battled his former manager in a courtroom drama that involved $1.75 million in unpaid commissions, a disputed contract, and, wait for it, immigration paperwork.
Coster-Waldau had claimed he operated under a verbal agreement with Jill Littman, his longtime manager, and didn’t owe her a dime post-termination. But Littman pulled out the receipts in the form of a written agreement submitted to U.S. immigration to support his O-1 visa. Suddenly, this wasn’t just about money. it was about whether Hollywood stars were signing “fake” contracts just to get into the country.
The star’s agent, Brandon Liebman, admitted under oath that agencies often whipped up agreements for visa purposes that weren’t meant to be enforced. He said, (via The Hollywood Reporter),
We’d never go after commissions from them. If it walks like a contract and quacks like a contract…
Coster-Waldau’s fraud claims were tossed, his appeal is pending, and his attorney wants a new trial. Meanwhile, Littman’s attorney threw some shade, saying,
Although a Lannister always pays his debts, NCW has declined to honor the final ruling.
Honestly, if this whole legal mess ends up as a Netflix docu-drama, we’ll watch it. Preferably narrated by Tyrion.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
